This invention relates generally to hazard warning devices and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to a portable electric warning light used to alert motorists to road hazards.
Hazard warning devices have various uses. For example, when a motorist has a flat tire and pulls to the side of the road, such devices can be placed along the roadway to alert oncoming traffic. Examples of devices that can be so used include chemical flares, electric lights and reflective markers.
Chemical flares typically give off a low intensity light. Flares typically have a limited operating life, such as approximately twenty minutes, for example. Flares are not reusable, which is at least one factor in making them relatively expensive. The heat generated by a flare makes it unsafe in flammable environments, and the combustion that occurs can pollute the air. The spent flare is solid waste that can pose a disposal problem. A flare can be unreliable in rain or snow because the moisture can adversely affect the chemical reaction by which a flare works.
As to electric warning lights, some we are aware of give off low intensity illumination, thereby making them relatively hard to see. Others may give off high intensity illumination, but these typically can operate only for a relatively short time when battery powered. These also tend to be bulky so that it is inconvenient to transport them. These electrical devices are also typically breakable so that they cannot survive moderate abuse, and they are also relatively expensive.
Reflective warning devices may be relatively inexpensive in that they can be reused indefinitely if they are sturdy enough; however, this type of warning device requires an external source of illumination to be readily seen. Reflective warning devices typically have a restricted viewing angle so that they must be carefully oriented to pick up the external illumination. Such reflective warning devices typically perform poorly under conditions of marginal visibility, such as fog.
In view of the foregoing shortcomings of these various types of warning devices, there is the need for an improved warning device that is highly functional, yet relatively simple in design and relatively inexpensive for the use it provides.